The Civic Education of "My Own Life"

Thèmes abordés

David Hume; public moralism; autobiography; philosophy

Résumé du document

Ryan Hanley described the popularization of public moralism by David Hume through Hume's autobiography entitled My Own Life. Like Benjamin Franklin his model, the 18th century philosopher aimed at simultaneously displaying a model of civic education and illustrating himself as such.

Hanley, Ryan, P., "Hume's Last Lessons: The Civic Education of "My Own Life"". Review of Politics, 64, 2002

Extraits

[...] For instance, she was quoted defining Thatcherism as “living within your means”[1]. The use of autobiography, simple language and universal and individual values were also relevant to the techniques of storytelling used nowadays in politics, education and adverting among other communication sectors. Hume's strategy of communication of his ideas was actually innovative in the 18 th century and revealed another medium of information and education. Margaret Thatcher, Speech in Bovey Tracey, Western Morning News May 1987. She is reported to have defined Thatcherism only once during her political career. [...]

[...] 18th century Autobiography: Hanley, Ryan, P., “Hume's Last Lessons: The Civic Education of Own Review of Politics Ryan Hanley described the popularization of public moralism by David Hume through Hume's autobiography entitled My Own Life. Like Benjamin Franklin his model, the 18 th century philosopher aimed at simultaneously displaying a model of civic education and illustrating himself as such. Hanley extracted five major precepts from Hume's autobiography: the importance of vanity as a virtue, the notion of independence, self-discovery through writing and the significance of education and self-love. [...]

[...] Independence, self-discovery, self-help, selfefficiency, self-love, and self-education and so on were mostly the cornerstones of Liberalism. Thus, Hume would have been one of the philosophers designing political Liberalism through a civil perspective by the means of a definition entailing a civic perspective. Would Hume have had entangled civil education and political education? On the one hand, it might have had compensated the popularization of moral philosophy, either from Hume's viewpoint or in the mind of his intellectual contemporaries. On the other hand, it might morally have had strengthened Hume's motives regarding his role of educator. [...]